1. Initial contact with potential client should be pleasant and professional. The first impression you make will last.

2. Gather information. Find out what the assignment is. What is the concept.

Where and when is it. Who is in the photographs. What is the usage needed. Ask who will approve the estimate. Who will approve the photos. Is there an art director. Ask who you will be billing. Ask if there are other photographers in line for the job. What is their overall budget? You can ask and they may not tell but when they do you have great information.

Keep asking questions until you are sure you get it. You must really understand what they are looking for to adequately estimate the time and expenses that it will take.

Take notes on the conversation.

3. Research. Spend some time researching the company and your contact on the internet.

4. Research what a similar usage would be if they used stock photography. Sign up for an account at Corbis, it is free, and price the usages of a photo. Purchase FotoQuote and price the usages. Students get a discount.

5. Crunch the numbers and create an estimate including scope of work, usage, (description may be included in scope of work) your creative fee including usage or a creative fee and a separate line item for usage, your expenses, and the terms and conditions. Software like FotoBiz and Blinkbid can help you do this.

6. Get a signed estimate or confirmation.

7. Shoot the assignment

8. Deliver the images with a delivery memo

Archiving the information

For all clients, whether they are stock or assignment, I keep all notes, delivery memos, estimates, shipping bills, receipts together. When a job is current it goes into an active file that is in a fireproof safe. The first page of that active folder is a simple accounting sheet telling me what was sent, when, how much is owed. I also have this on my business software, Inview and Stockview.

Once I am paid the stack goes into a file with the client’s name on it. That way I can refer back to the job when I work for them again.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 6:53 pm and is filed under Seattle Central. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.